CHP officer shot during struggle on San Diego freeway

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A California Highway Patrol officer was shot Wednesday while investigating a crash on a San Diego freeway and a suspect was taken into custody, authorities said.

The officer, an eight-year veteran, was shot once in the right thigh during a struggle with a “pedestrian” at about 6:15 p.m. as he investigated a collision on eastbound Interstate 8 in the Mission Valley neighborhood, CHP Capt. Michael Harris said at a nighttime news conference.

“Good Samaritans” helped subdue the suspect, a 25-year-old San Diego man, and the officer was hospitalized in serious but stable condition, Harris said.

“We’re all praying that he makes a full recovery swiftly,” he said.

A man told KUSI-TV that he used his sweatshirt and the officer’s belt to stop the bleeding.

Other details about the shooting weren’t immediately released.

The freeway was closed for hours after the shooting.